Passing the Torch
by Frozen Obsidian
Summary: It's time for the third-years to step down, and Rikkai is going to learn of their new captain, who is about to find captaincy much harder than he first thought. Welcome to leadership, Kirihara-buchou.
1. Welcome to Captaincy, Kirihara Akaya

**Passing the Torch:  
Welcome to Captaincy, **** Kirihara Akaya****.**

_Summary: It's time for the third years to graduate, and Kirihara Akaya's about to find that the new year is going to be anything but easy. Time to step up his game then._

Tournament season was over, and the high school entrance exams were coming up. In other words, it was time for the third years to step down. Every member of the Rikkai tennis team was gathered to listen to Yukimura speak.

"And so," Yukimura says in that quietly powerful way of his, "Kirihara Akaya will be the new captain of Rikkai."

There is a silence. Not shocked, because everyone had already guessed that Kirihara would certainly play a central role in Rikkai next year, but maybe slightly dismayed, because there was always the hope that _they_ or someone that was more even-tempered would have been chosen instead.

Yukimura continues, unabashed by the silence, "Hideki Haruko will be the vice-captain."

There is a slight easing of the tension coursing through the Rikkai tennis team. Hideki was a good choice. Calm, easy-going but with enough of a backbone (hopefully) to stand up to the wildfire that was Kirihara.

Yukimura nods slightly at the pair, who both have proud smiles (a more calculating edge to Hideki's, and Yukimura knows he made the right choice in Akaya's new partner) on their faces.

Kirihara steps back and allows Hideki to make his speech first, and Yukimura can almost see the thoughts mulling around Kirihara's head.

Yukimura smiles slightly, and feels a hint of disappointment at not being able to observe Akaya's captaincy first-hand. It would be an interesting experience, if nothing else. Although Yukimura knew it would be than just interesting, since he had hand-picked Akaya out of all the first and second years, after all.

But it was time for him to step back and focus on the high-school courts now; this place was now Akaya's.

Yukimura was proud of his kouhai.

-0-0-0-

Akaya stands there, a calculating gleam in his green eyes as Hideki goes about his speech. There's nothing special in Hideki's little monologue, just the usual things about honour, determination and such other details that all of Rikkai already have in them.

It takes more than talent and a desire for fame to survive in Rikkai after all. But Hideki is running through the motions, and Akaya is not so stupid to not realize that Hideki is testing him. Trying to see what he can bring to the table.

The juniors and freshmen already know Hideki well, and Akaya is well aware that quite a number had hoped in their heart of hearts that Hideki would be in Akaya's current position.

Akaya has spent too much time playing with only the Regulars, and he supposes that this little test is what he deserves.

Hideki's speech draws to a close, and the blond boy invites Akaya to speak with a flamboyant pose.

With the barest hint of a feral smile, Akaya straightens and prepares to speak.

"We are Rikkai." A simple statement of fact, but the meaning behind the words speak volumes, and everyone there knows it. Out of the corner of his eyes, Akaya sees Sanada smile slightly under his cap. This small acknowledgment brings a sense of calmness to the furious torrent of gung-honess coursing through Akaya's body.

They trust him with this team, and he will not allow it to break with their absence.

"And we will win. There is no excuse for failure, not in this , I, and Hideki," he says with a slight nod as his new right-hand, for he knows better than to alienate any possible assistance, "will be choosing the Regulars beginning tomorrow."

There is a slight rustle now in the crowd as the aspiring Regulars clench at their racquets, determined to mark their place in the elite group.

"I know we usually just select a choice few and they are the Regulars as per observation, unless they slip up or someone comes bounding in, but I will be changing things slightly." Kirihara continues coolly, eyes gauging the crowd's reactions.

Some surprise, some disappointment, some elation and some resentment. Just as he expected then, but it would be for the best, seeing as no one here possessed Yukimura's natural instinct for brilliance or Yanagi's calculating edge.

"We will be selecting a roster of a maximum of 28 players. Anyone, and I mean anyone, including next year's freshmen, will get a chance to enter the roster."

There is a murmur of dissent, because freshmen rarely get the chance to shine, with the only recent exception since the Three Demons standing in front of them right now.

Akaya continues smoothly, voice banked with his usual mischievousness now, "But I'm sure that won't threaten any of you unduly."

He hears Niou-senpai snicker quietly in appreciation. A soft prod at both their pride and their determination, a double blow.

"Anyway, each of the players will be playing a total of 4 games, round robin style. I will, naturally, be participating."

The tennis team is worried now, because Akaya's viciousness is well-known, and none of them, no matter how arrogant, want to be on the receiving end.

"Winners of the most matches will, of course, be the Regular members, from there on out. The seven runner-ups will form the pre-Regular group." And as the next words come out, Akaya's voice is edged with the ice that only tennis brings out in him, "Two matches of singles and doubles, each. You can choose your partner for one match, I will decide the other. I expect _all_ my players to be competent at both doubles and singles."

He can almost taste the fury and worry in the air, and it makes him want to laugh.

"Is there a problem?" Not so much of a question as a challenge. Let them try and prove him wrong then, if there was.

A moment's silence, before the team grunts out a resounding no.

Yanagi seems to be going on a data high, Akaya notes, and he supposes that this will be the last one he sees in a while.

(He couldn't be more wrong. The now ex-Regulars can't seem to let go of him just as much as Akaya can't let go of them.)

"Very well, then, I'm sure we'll get along just fine." Now the usual cheerfully mischievous smile is back in his voice and manner, and he can see the crowd relax. They are not used to Akaya's steelier side. His bratty side, his vicious side, his gentler side even, are things they are used to, but this undercurrent of cunning and steel and pure icy determination is the one thing they have never gotten used to, even though they are faced with it every time they've fought him on the courts.

Oh well, they will learn.

"Hideki," he calls, "carry out the warm-ups. I need to settle things with Yukimura…senpai first." The word sounds strange on his tongue, because he is used to calling him buchou, but doing so now would be seen as shirking his new job.

His vice-captain nods, and runs off, but not before shooting him an approving wink.

Akaya rolls his eyes, it appears that his second-in-command approves of him. He has the sinking feeling that working with Hideki is going to be like playing Go against Yanagi-senpai. Pleasant on the outside, mind-twisting on the inside.

Joy. But he supposes that Hideki isn't that bad of a choice, compared to people like Misami and Osamu. At least Hideki shows potential of being useful and exciting.

He shakes the thought off; he needs all his wits when dealing with his senpai-tachi.

He walks over to the group, and they aren't making it any easier, with their sly smirks and all-too-obvious fondness. A part of Akaya can't help but wonder why do they keep _caring _so hard, because it's just making it harder to walk away.

But that, he supposes, is why he likes them in the first place.

So he goes and tries to gauge their approval of his recent speech.

Before he can get the first words out his mouth, Marui is there, grinning, "Impressive, brat, looks like you might be able to keep some degree of genius in the team, after all. Not as much as you would've had with me, but a pretty good job of riling them up, considering."

"Hmph," Akaya snorts and sticks out his tongue. It feels good to be able to slip back into the role of the team baby, and he knows that he'll have his hands full soon, so he'd best take advantage of this when he still can. "Your genius, Marui-senpai? We'll be hard-pressed to beat that then?"

Marui chuckles, "Darn right, brat."

"I supposed we'll just have to go and find a way around it then." A subtle warning, for Marui to keep an eye out for a junior that would be the complete opposite of Marui himself. A volley killer, if Akaya could shape one.

Niou chuckles appreciatively, "Looks like I'll be able to make a Trickster out of you, after all, bratling."

Bratling. Akaya's always hated that name. Brat he was used to, but somehow the –ling made it all the more annoying. "Don't call me that," and since he's sure that Hideki's having fun running all the juniors and freshmen into the ground, he allows himself to pout. "And I suppose I have to thank you for your guidance and experience then, Niou-_sama_," He drawls out the title, and Niou laughs.

Yagyuu cuts in, careful and quiet and deadly as ever, "The best of luck, Kirihara-kun." A warning for both of them.

Akaya relents, "Thank you, Yagyuu-senpai." Sparring with Marui and Niou was one thing, throwing his head out for Yagyuu to ruthlessly slice off is another thing. Yagyuu's fire is seemingly tamed, but lashes out more viciously than any others when approached.

Jackal sighs, and Akaya turns cheeky eyes towards him, "What's the matter, Jackal-senpai? Missing my presence already?"

"I'm just pitying your team." Jackal retorts good-naturedly, and a part of Akaya pangs for this quiet resilience and humour of Jackal's already. Jackal's definitely the nicest of his senpai.

Yanagi interjects, before the banter can escalate to a full-out battle of wills, "A fair job Akaya. You topped my predictions by 7.8 percent."

Akaya pouts, "You expected so low of me, Yanagi-senpai?"

A quiet laugh, "No, you were just in extraordinary form today."

"I aim to please," Akaya grins, "So, Sanada-fukubuchou?"

"I'm not your fukubuchou anymore," Sanada admonishes slightly, and Akaya curses the slip of his tongue. "But I suppose that Rikkai will survive."

As close to a well done as Akaya is ever likely to receive from his taciturn ex-vice captain.

"That good, eh?"

"I suppose."

Yukimura smiles smile Version D2DX3 (Named after the title Smile Death To The Extreme), and it sends a shiver down everyone's spine.

"I leave this club in your hands, Akaya, and I hope that my choice is right."

Akaya stands in salute, and smiles slightly, bittersweet, "You will not regret this, Yukimura-buchou."

Not a slip of the tongue this time, but a quiet farewell to Yukimura's guidance, at least until he makes high school.

"Best of luck, Akaya-buchou." And with a sort-of sad smile on Yukimura's own part, the Child of God leans over to ruffle his kouhai's hair, and says, "You'll need it with that lot."

Akaya scans the courts again, and can't help but say, "I think you're right there."

"I know I am, I captained it for a year and a half, didn't I?"

"There seem to be quite a few wild ones, in the freshmen batch." Akaya throws out, hoping to snag a couple hints as he does.

Yukimura lets him snatch a tiny tidbit, "Maybe they'll turn out as good as you, hmm?"

Akaya scowls, "Now you're just being mean."

"Really, now?"

"Yes, because I can't bully them anymore, because that would make me seem like a hypocrite!"

Yukimura grins lightly, "You'll find a way, Akaya, I know you will."

With that, Yukimura and the rest of the ex-Regulars walk off, with a couple of goodbyes.

Akaya watches them, before taking a breath to steady himself, to let the odd feeling of steel wash through him again, and turns to his (not Yukimura's, not anymore) team.

"I want first years playing second years. Hideki, you're watching Courts A and B. I expect a full list, after this."

There's a cheerful ring of a 'Yes, Buchou', and Akaya thinks that the next year was going to be aggravating and fun at the same time.

He opens his fist, and can't help but smile. There's a small card there, slipped in by Yukimura-buchou, that says, "It's your team now, but it's still _our_ school, so if you need help with your studies, feel free to come over to the high school section."

An obvious hint for him to visit, but a firm line that says he will have to manage the team on his own.

Akaya laughs, slightly breathless, and thinks that he's going to have one hell of a time trying to juggle the wildness of the Rikkai tennis team and the mind games of his senpai.

He couldn't have asked for more.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

_If the response to this is good, I'll continue this._

_I always loved the idea of Akaya as captain, and if this seems weird, I blame sleep deprivation. _

_I tried to make the bit with Akaya and the Regulars seem more relaxed and easy-going, but it seemed more like a battle of wits the entire time..._

_There's going to be OCs, seeing as there aren't any other second-year Rikkai players that we know of except for Akaya himself... But the main focus is definitely going to be on Akaya._

_I have the feeling that none of the new captains are going to find captaincy easy, especially after reigns by people like Yukimura._

_If anyone's interested, the second chapter of On Hyotei is up._

_Much love,_

_~FO  
_


	2. Meet Your New Best Friends

**Passing The Torch:  
Meet Your New Best Friends**

_Chapter summary: In which Rikkai proves that being insane, manipulative or absolutely aggravating is a pre-requisite for joining the RikkaiDai tennis team, there is a surplus of new characters, and Akaya contemplates that maybe he should apologize to his senpai. Insanity indeed._

_It's a hot day_, Akaya thinks. _Perfect._

It's the end of his first week as captain of Rikkai's tennis team, and today's weather is looking like exactly what he needs for his purpose.

He's just about finished composing the list of members eligible for the ranking tournaments, but this hot day is exactly what he needs to decide between the second year Asato and freshman Seiji.

Both of them have killer serves, and both of them have excellent volleys. Both of them know that there is only one place available for the two of them, and it all depends on their stamina. Time to see, then.

Hideki chuckles when Akaya barks, "Asato! Seiji! Court C now! And what are the rest of you doing, just sitting around? If I catch the lot of you lying about again, it's going to be 50 laps!"

"Mahh… Kirihara-buchou," Hideki says, with a wry grin, "Calm down a little… You'll scare the children."

Akaya shoots the blond boy a glare, "Shut up, Hideki."

Hideki just laughs again, before turning to the gawking team, "Well, what are you waiting for, my pretties? You heard the captain. Chop, chop!"

At times like these, Akaya really doesn't know if he likes or hates his vice-captain. It was amazing how he managed to be both horribly aggravating and amusing at the same time.

But debating his vice-captain's… eccentricities could wait for later; now it was time for some work.

After a pointed glance, Asato and Seiji make their way onto the court. There's a hush now, because everyone knows the significance of this match.

There's a dark gleam in Seiji's eyes, and Akaya gets the feeling that he can predict the winner of this match right here and now, but hey, Asato deserves a chance, doesn't he?

Seiji bends back, farther than was normal, and Akaya knows that it's coming. That demonic serve of Seiji's that makes his Knuckle Serve look like a child's plaything. Akaya meant it when he said that Seiji has a _killer_ serve.

And as he knew it would, the ball moves viciously fast, with all the precision and power needed to smash a person's face in.

What did Seiji call that serve again…? Dirge? How fitting.

The demon in him rears its' head, as it witnesses the utter viciousness that Seiji is displaying. It's craving for some blood of its own now, after being repressed for so long.

With a practiced mental gesture, Akaya forces it back down. He was not going to let the demon break out again. He'd learnt that lesson all too well. But it was going to be a problem then, if Seiji got on the team, if simply watching him play woke the demon.

Well, that was just bloody perfect.

There's a slight hiss of breath from Asato, and Akaya trains his eyes back on the game. Personal demons would have to wait.

Appreciatively, Akaya watches as Asato's muscles bunch up to receive the serve. Any ordinary player would have gotten his face bloodied by Seiji's serve, but Asato is fast and strong enough to return it. And, Asato, being just as kind and gentle of a player as Seiji himself, makes sure to aim the shot at Seiji's right leg.

The match starts now.

Hideki is next to him and quiet for once.

"Those two really are demonic, aren't they?" Akaya mutters to Hideki, who smirks slightly.

"That's something, coming from our resident demon captain, eh?"

"Even I don't find that much joy in ripping my opponents apart."

There's no denying the feral smiles on both players face, after all. They seem to enjoy both bruising the other and getting bruised themselves.

Watching the pair of them, Akaya can't help but think that he needs to go home and write an apology letter to Yukimura and Sanada for having to deal with him when he was like that. Feral and animalistic wasn't even the worst of it.

Akaya winces as one of Asato's serves breaks Seiji's racquet gut. Seiji's serve relied on power and precision; Asato's serves counted on spin and force. Terrifying, the pair of them were. Like a pair of alpha wolves trying to decide who would lead the pack, and just about to start ripping each other's throat out. Akaya himself would have to watch it, seeing as _he_ was the actual alpha.

"Hmm… Kirihara-buchou, what do you think about putting both of them on the same side of the court?" says Hideki when the score is tied at 5 games each.

Akaya freezes, as what Hideki says processes through his head, and he can't help the laugh that escapes him. "I see that Yukimura-senpai chose you for a reason."

"I aim to please."

"Well, now that you've given me that _brilliant_ idea, I suppose it's pointless to let two such valuable assets decimate each other before they can even start with our opponents, eh?" remarks Akaya as he steps out of the shade.

Hideki shakes his head ruefully, "You're even worse than they are, Kirihara-buchou."

"I _am_ more experienced at it," retorts Akaya before he turns to face the two on the courts.

"That's enough, Asato. Seiji. Both you report to the infirmaries now and get those bruises and cuts treated. The two of you are really going to have to watch it."

Seiji turns feral eyes to him, and snips, "Watch what, Kirihara?"

"That's Kirihara-buchou to you," says Akaya nonchalantly; he's played the vicious brat too often to be hazed by it, "And I mean that you should watch the injuries. Bruises are one thing, but the referees really don't appreciate blood."

"You're one to talk."

There's a ringing silence now as the entire club holds its breath to see what Akaya's reaction is going to be.

For a second, red tinges Akaya's eyes, before a wash of icy determination cools it back down. Good, thinks Akaya with relief, fighting back the demon has been easier lately. Another thing to thank Yukimura for. It seemed that that letter was going to be a mile long, at this rate.

To Seiji however, the red-hot fury would have been safer than the chilled anger banking Akaya's words now.

"You will _not_ speak to me, like that Seiji Harada. I am the captain of this club, and you will have to defer to my wishes. I cannot, or rather, will not have players in my team who refuse to follow orders. And wipe that smirk off your face, Asato. I'm speaking to you too." Akaya says, voice cold and stern, but there's a fire in his eyes that is daring the pair opposite him to try and challenge him.

Seiji's face is mutinous, but he backs down. The rest of the club is whispering now, already gossiping about this unexpected chilliness displayed by their new captain.

Akaya ignores the buzz of voices and proceeds to berate the pair in front of him, ruthlessly listing their faults and good plays. There's a shine of grudging respect in Asato and Seiji's faces as they listen. After a while, Akaya finishes and grins slightly.

They watch him warily.

"Anyway, both of you are on the tournament list, and guess who I've decided your assigned doubles partner is?" says Akaya, with just enough lingering fury to add a mischievous bite to his words.

Both of them freeze, and Asato breathes, "You wouldn't…"

"I would." says Akaya with a gleeful smile, "Say hello to your new partner. Asato, Seiji. Seiji, Asato."

"… I really hate you, Kirihara-buchou," groans Asato.

Seiji's expression says it all.

"Love you too, and besides, you can thank Hideki for this," says Akaya wryly, and turns around to continue practice. "By the way, Hideki, how would you like to play doubles with me?"

Hideki just laughs as both Seiji and Asato turn to direct their glares at him.

"Thought so." Akaya says, humming cheerfully to himself. The ranking tournaments were going to be fun indeed.

-0-0-0-

_Hideki is an amusing doubles partner but it's a pity that the Kaita-Tarogane pair can't match us_, Akaya muses, as he returns a shot from the sadly not-up-to-par pair opposite him.

It's his last match of the ranking tournament, and so far, it's gone mostly like how he predicted it. There were one or two minor upsets, but the results will most likely match the ones he and Hideki drew up.

_The problem_, Akaya thinks with a small frown as Hideki easily smashes back the lob sent their way, _is that we've got a nice team of singles players, maybe good enough to rival last year's, but no adequate doubles pairs. If this goes on, I and Hideki might actually have to pair up semi-permanently to clinch our doubles games when Regionals come around. I don't want to play _doubles_! _

He sounds a bit whiny, even to himself, but well, doubles really was _not_ his cup of tea. It said something of their doubles quality when a singles player like him was part of one of their best pairs.

The game ends 6-1.

He sighs, and shakes hands with the other pair, and packs his things up to go and watch the still on-going matches. It seemed that his match was the first to finish.

Pitiful.

The only consolation is the way the Seiji-Asato pair turned out. Hideki really deserved a medal for dreaming that one up.

Violent and unfriendly to the last, the volatile pair somehow managed a frightening degree of synchronicity.

The Momoshiro-Kaidoh pair from Regionals last year flashes through his mind, and he can't help a short bark of laughter.

What he wouldn't give to let that pair of rivals meet his pair. The Seigaku idiots would seem like bosom buddies compared to the two under his care.

It was amazing how competing with your doubles partner somehow managed to create a harmony. And extraordinarily enough, those two together created fewer injuries than those two apart. It seemed that the fire of each kept the others under control. It was wonderful. It meant one thing that Akaya could cross off his to-do list, which, in his opinion, was already much too long anyway.

Being captain involved a lot more paperwork than he had thought it would. Nasty, really. If he didn't know better, he'd think that Yukimura had chosen him as captain just to see him suffer through all the stuffy paperwork.

(In part, he was right. Yukimura had selected Akaya because he would be the best candidate, of course, but the blue-haired boy would admit that watching Akaya deal with paperwork was a definite perk.)

"The regular line-up has been decided." He announces at the end of practice. All eyes snap to him to listen. Most of the players are obvious, of course, but there were several ties for the sixth and seventh place. They had thought there would be tie-breaking matches, but…

"I know that Kaita, Asato, Saburo, Tatami and Morumaki have tied. However, based on my observations and what the team needs, I have decided on who will make it to the team. The members are as follows, I and Hideki,"

The club nods in assent, both their captain and vice-captain had shown everyone exactly why Yukimura had chosen them, after all.

"Yao Kai Lang."

The Chinese boy was small and petite. One of those people that made you stop and coo at just how very tiny and adorable he was. He was also extraordinarily flexible and had the ability to flit about like a hummingbird. Fast didn't even cover it. After Akaya and Hideki, he had displayed the best game, so he had been expected.

Yao grins sweetly, which makes Akaya roll his eyes. Should've known that Yao would be one of those who tried to play the cute card. It works, though, because he can just _feel_ Hideki resisting the urge to coo.

It was a good thing that Akaya himself had built up a tolerance for the sweet and the cute, being too used to playing the role himself. He nudges Hideki not all too subtly, and the boy has the grace to look sheepish.

Yao eyes him and raises an eyebrow.

Pointedly, Akaya ignored him and continues, "Kiyoshi Manabu."

The bespectacled boy smiles slightly, and waves his hand in acknowledgement. Kiyoshi would be a wild card. Their new resident genius and he reminded Akaya of Fuji Syuusuke to an uncomfortable extent. Apparently pleasant and uncaring, but absolutely scary when riled.

The main problem, Akaya sighs, is _getting_ him riled. Uncaring couldn't even begin to cover it. If he were on better terms with Tezuka Kunimitsu or any of those other Seigaku idiots, he might've asked them what they did with Fuji, but…

Well, maybe Yukimura or Sanada or Yanagi might have an idea.

Pushing the thought aside for a second, Akaya says, "Seiji Harada."

There were a few scowls and murmurs of dissatisfaction from the second-years. Not many of them like the mouthy freshman, but there was no denying that he had wiped the courts with them. Seiji, for his part, was smiling smugly.

It was unnerving how much Seiji reminded Akaya of himself.

"Asato Riku."

There's a gasp of surprise and dissent. Asato was one of the ones slated for the tie-breakers, so why was he being offered an automatic spot?

With a pointed glare, Akaya silences the whole team, "I have chosen Asato because it seems that Rikkai is sadly lacking in doubles pairs this year. He and Seiji are the only functional pair we've got."

Both Asato and Seiji both look confused as to whether they should be feeling smug at the praise or dismayed about being stuck together. They settle for glaring at each other instead. Akaya almost snorts in amusement.

The rest of the team look at their feet in embarrassment. Watching the doubles matches had been almost painful, they had to admit.

"I hope to hell that we're going to get some good first-years next year," bites Akaya, "But for the remaining members, I'm going to be giving Saburo, Tatami, Kaita, and Morumaki a fair chance at the three remaining spots. You'll be treated as Regulars until the ranking match next year, where we'll have a few freshmen to throw into the mix. You're on probation, I suppose you could say."

He turns to the rest of his new regulars, "That does not mean you guys are all set. You'll have just as much of a chance to be kicked out next year, except that the lot of you will be seeded, to avoid my best players knocking each other out. Got it?"

"Yes, captain," they chorus, grinning easily. There's too much pride at the moment for them to feel too threatened. But they'll be back to normal by tomorrow, so Akaya lets it slide.

"Good." Akaya snaps, and turns to the rest of the club, "That's a wrap, everyone. For those that didn't make it, too bad. Tough luck. I'm not going to run around nursing your egos. If you're not happy with my selections, then you'll just have to prove me wrong come spring! This is Rikkai, and we're not going to baby anyone who can't take a little defeat. We take only the strongest, is that clear?"

The club is buzzing with tension now, and they grind out an affirmative.

Hideki laughs as he turns to Akaya, "Damn, Kirihara-buchou, you sure don't play gentle, do you?"

"Did you expect me to?"

"Of course not, captain."

"Exactly."

Turning away from his vice-captain, Akaya dismisses the rest of the team.

As he watches his team file off the courts, he releases a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Damn. Who knew being captain involved so much planning, strategizing and thinking?

He really should write that apology/thank you letter to Yukimura-buchou.

-0-0-0-0-

_Only Akaya in this one... I wanted to add a segment with the rest of the original Rikkai Regulars, but I didn't know how to fit it in with this. I tried to make it not focus on the OCs too much, but I somehow don't think I succeeded... I've come up with personalities for each and every one of them (including a pair of twins that will be debutting next chapter)._

_The official line up (in my head) will be: _

_Singles 1: Kirihara _

_Singles 2 : Hideki/Yao_

_Singles 3: Kiyoshi_

_Doubles 1: Twins_

_Doubles 2: Seiji-Asato_

_The problem with OCs is that I love them, seeing as I created them, but that doesn't mean that other people will love them, because everyone want to see more of the characters we all know and love..._

_I hope I didn't fail epically._

_Love,_

_~FO  
_


	3. Doubles Trouble, Double Trouble

**Passing the torch:**

**Doubles Trouble, Double Trouble**

_Chapter summary: Where Akaya has fun being a brat again, meets a pair of devilish twins, and enjoys torturing Asato. Oh, and Hideki has fun torturing Akaya in turn. What goes around comes around, after all._

Akaya drops his head onto the table with a groan, "Yukimura-buchou… Kill me now."

Yukimura raises an eyebrow while calmly taking a sip of his tea, "I'm not your buchou anymore, Akaya. And what's the matter?"

"Meh… Calling you Yukimura-_senpai_ just sounds weird. It's like calling fukubuchou by name. It's just not done."

Marui snorts, "You, Aka-chan, are weird. And why don't you call _me_ senpai? It's always 'Marui! Gimme some of your gum!' or 'Marui! I'm gonna pound your face in for stealing my crayons!' Which, mind you, I didn't do. It was Jackal."

Jackal splutters indignantly as Akaya levels a glare at his bald senpai. "I did no such thing!"

"You lie, Jackal, you lie," says Marui with a sly grin before turning back to Akaya. "So, brat, why do _I_ not get any respect?"

Akaya, still glaring at Jackal, says, "That's because you're Marui. You, like, don't deserve respect. Calling you senpai would be like calling… my dog 'Biscuit-_sama' _orsomething. Nonsensical and retarded. Pointless, you know?"

Niou snickers as Marui turns a shade of red that indicates he was about to start yelling at Akaya.

Yagyuu smoothly cuts in to avoid their getting kicked out of the café, "I thought your dog was called Wuffles, Kirihara-kun."

Niou coughs lightly into his fist, "So gay."

"Yeah, he is. But I got a terrier last week and I named him Biscuit," says Akaya idly as he holds off Marui's blows.

Sanada's eye starts twitching as the small ruckus between Akaya and Marui begins to attract the attention of the waiter, who is glaring at them. "Marui! Akaya! Stop it this instant!"

"It's not my fault," sulks Akaya, pouting.

"It so is," says Marui indignantly, "If you just gave me some _respect…_ You give _Niou_ more respect than I get. It's ridiculous!"

"That's because Niou is like… my Trick-sensei… And he _did_ give me some help during the Invitational's… But he does steal my crayons, steal my training lists, and paint my dog green…"mumbled Akaya, "Come to think of it… Why _do_ I call Niou-senpai senpai?"

Niou smirks slightly, "That's because you know that I can wreak a lot more pain on you than Marui can ever dream of."

Akaya sighs, "I suppose that's true. Marui's a wuss…"

Marui glows a brilliant shade of red.

"There is a 87 percent chance that this will lead us to getting thrown out of the café," says Yanagi wryly, "It's amazing how the chances for trouble is increased by a whole 150 percent when Akaya is present."

Yukimura laughs, "I missed this."

Sanada looks dour, "I haven't. I've been enjoying the peace. Marui, sit down!"

Yukimura grins, "You know you love this."

"Miss taking care of the craziest teenagers known to man?" says Sanada incredulously.

Yukimura nods sagely, "Yes. Don't try and deny it."

Sanada decides to ignore this, and gets up to slap Marui and Akaya into oblivion.

Yukimura takes pity on Akaya and Marui, so he says, "Akaya… You never did tell me what was your problem."

Akaya immediately takes on the appearance of someone going to their grandmother's funeral, "It's the doubles pairs… Asato and Seiji are making a good pair, but the amount of havoc they cause off the courts… If they don't stop it soon, our budget's going to be spent entirely on repairing the damage they cause. At least Niou-senpai never spent the club's money."

Yukimura nods and says, "Well… I remember those two. Tempers like powder kegs, both of them, although between the two, I would suggest watching Asato closer. He's slyer and definitely more vindictive. Never knew someone who could hold a grudge like him. How exactly have you been punishing them?"

"The usual – laps, cleaning the club house, repairing the damage they cause."

"Ah… that's where you're going wrong. Those two don't really mind manual labour, but from what I've seen, both have prides bigger than Mount Fuji. Stuff like cross-dressing and wasabi filled sushi would be a much more effective method."

Yanagi looks up, "Based on my research, Asato has a fear of heights, whereas Seiji not only looks killer in a dress, but has bad childhood experiences associated with it. His mother is one of the most acclaimed designers in the country, and from what I've gathered, she quite enjoys dressing her son up. And she doesn't have a daughter."

Niou bursts into laughter, "You mean the dark-haired, moody, annoying little freshman was dressed like a girl when he was a kid? Oh, that's just _golden_!"

"Not just when he was a kid. His mother still uses him as a model to this day."

Akaya's eyes are gleaming with devious delight, "Oh, this is _perfect!_ That little brat has been getting on my nerves so much lately… And a fear of heights, eh? From what I hear, the laboratory roofs need a cleaning. I'm sure Kobayashi-sensei will be absolutely delighted to have a volunteer… And if she's in a good mood, she makes the most delicious cakes… This is exactly what I need! I knew there was a reason I still hung out with you lot! Except Yukimura-buchou, of course, because he's awesome that way, and I would've hung out with him anyway…"

Marui turns to Yukimura, "And _this_ is the person you named captain? By gods, he's going to drive his team to tears by the end of his reign."

Yukimura grins, and there's just the slightest hint of mischief in his eyes, "Exactly."

Sanada looks at Yukimura with wide eyes, "You named Akaya captain because he would torture his team?"

"Well, that's one of the factors. And watching Akaya deal with paperwork is always a plus. But really, you know as well as I do that he's the best choice. The captain _has _to be part of the Regulars, and from the list Yanagi drew up of the second-years that would definitely make Regulars, only Akaya would make a good captain. Watch." Yukimura turns to Yanagi who immediately sits up, knowing exactly what his best friend is up to.

"Hideki Hikaru."

"Would make an excellent vice-captain, but much more content to pull the strings and play the fool. As captain, he would only be able to reach 70 percent of his capacity, as he would spend too long mulling over problems and constructing elaborate plans. As vice-captain, he has the privilege of simply modifying the plans that the captain makes."

"Yao Kai Lang."

"A talented tennis player, and fairly responsible, but too easy-going and used to getting his own way to make a good captain. Very manipulative, but not in the way a captain needs to be. He's only good at getting things for _himself_, not for other people."

"Kiyoshi Manabu."

"Lacks the drive to work hard and think up out-of-the-box training methods and such. Has all the necessary qualities, but is simply uninspired to use them."

"Asato Riku."

"Too vengeful and uncontrolled. He's like a very wild version of Akaya, with a more malicious streak. Definitely not good captain material."

"And there you have it," says Yukimura with a wry grin. "Out of that lot, it's obvious that Akaya is the best choice, don't you think?"

Sanada sighs, "I suppose. And he _has _been doing a fair job of it."

"More than a fair job, he's been excellent. The Asato-Seiji pair really was a stroke of genius."

Akaya, who had been swiping a piece of cake from Marui, interjects idly, "That was Hideki's idea. And on that note, I really need a second doubles pair. None of the others can play doubles worth jackshit."

"Hmm… I had considered that problem prior to this," mutters Yanagi, frowning, "And I'm sorry to say that none of the remaining players show much promise in doubles. If push comes to shove, Hideki and Kiyoshi might make a bearable pair. Or potentially Saburo and Saitama, but I gather that Saitama didn't do a good job during the ranking matches."

"Completely fell to pieces," says Akaya, deadpan, "Can't handle pressure at all."

"Hmm… He'll have to work on that. But luckily for you, I've heard rumours of a pair of twins coming to Rikkai next year, and they're very talented. Satoru Yukio and Satoru Akiyo. They're fairly troublesome to deal with, being pranksters and rather mischievous and cunning, but they're good. They've been ruling the Junior Tennis Circuit for a while now."

"With any luck, those rumours will turn out to be true," sighs Akaya, "After Seiji and Asato, the most functional pair we've got is me and Hideki. And you know how much I _love _doubles."

Niou makes a mockingly shocked face, "You can play doubles with someone other than Yanagi? I remember the last time you played doubles with Sanada… That was _not_ pretty. Me and Yagyuu wiped the courts with the pair of you." There was a pleased smile one Niou's face as he recalled that hilarious match.

"Yagyuu and I," coughs Yanagi slightly.

"Shut up, Yanagi."

Akaya scowls. That had been the most humiliating match of his life, and that included the one he played when he had a high fever and lost 6-0 to Jackal. _Jackal_.

Not to say that Jackal was a bad player (he was a Rikkai Regular, after all), but Akaya hated losing to Jackal, on the principal of not allowing his babysitter to one-up him.

Sanada didn't look too pleased about being reminded of that incident either. It had been the worst match he had ever played, and the synchrony was even worse than the one he and Atobe had before following the tango beats. At least Atobe had only stolen the balls that were rightly his, but Akaya had _fought_ for them out right. (Sanada refuses to acknowledge that he had fought right back. Maybe began a couple on his own, in fact.)

Akaya says petulantly, "I could wipe the floor with either of you in singles…"

"Ah, ah, ah, but we can kill you in doubles, so it all evens out," says Niou teasingly.

Yukimura chuckles, he knew he missed Akaya for a reason. Everything was so much livelier when he was around.

They really had to meet up more often.

-0-0-0-

The new year starts with a bang.

Literally. On the first day of tennis practice, the tennis club's door is rigged with a bucket of water, with a bag of flour set up right after that, which led right to a giant rice paper screen, a pail full of cream and a camera held by one of the new freshmen and his doppelganger. They cheerfully introduce themselves as Satoru Akiyo and Yukio to the fuming Asato.

The entire club is shocked by the audacity of the first-years, except for Akaya who is simply amused. This might be fun, if they were as good as Yanagi-senpai said they were.

Asato, for one, is not so much shocked as down right livid. The twins had better watch out. He wasn't called a vengeful bastard for nothing. (Asato took a perverse amount of pride in the title).

Hideki hurriedly tries to defuse the situation, seeing as his captain is to busy chuckling to handle it (Akaya is happy to leave this to Hideki, because he's better at this sort of stuff), "First years should show some respect to their seniors…" he drawls in a manner that suggests 'seniors' simply includes him.

Then again, Hideki's definition of defusing a situation simply meant turning a dangerous situation into a fun situation. But with Hideki's way of defining something as _fun_… Ah well, it at least promises to be entertaining.

"Not if they haven't earned it," says one of the twins.

Akaya sighs and cuts in, "Which one's which again? This doesn't prove to be amusing if I can't assign names to faces. If I can't remember I'll simply refer to you as Twin 1 and Twin 2. I expect a reply to those names, by the way."

The one on the left, who has slightly spikier hair, says, "I'm Akiyo. That's Yukio."

The one on the right, Yukio, says, "And who are you to speak to us like that, eh?"

"Your captain. You may call be Kirihara-buchou." Says Akaya deadpan.

"Ah, the top dog? That's perfect, eh, Akiyo?"

"Exactly what I was thinking Yukio."

Hideki sits down to enjoy the show. It seemed that Kirihara-buchou ended up dealing with them after all. How delightful.

Akaya looks at his fingernails, with a bored expression on his face. Time to see what they were made of. "And what was that?"

"What do we have to do to get a game of tennis around here?"

Asato bristles, still covered in flour and cream, "Kirihara-buchou, I demand that they are punished for this!"

Akaya yawns slightly, "Calm down and go get cleaned up Asato. You don't demand anything from me. I'll deal with this as I see fit."

Asato's eyes narrow and he turns to the twins, "You two had better watch out. I'll make your life a living hell. In fact… Kirihara-buchou, request to play a match against them?"

Akaya laughs slightly, "I'll consider it."

Asato really was a vindictive little bastard. He might even grant his request just to see how the twins dealt with a vicious player like Asato.

"Now shoo, stop dripping flour on our nice, clean club floors," says Akaya, grinning.

"I really hate you, Kirihara-buchou. Just so you know."

"As you tell me every other day, I think I do," drawls Akaya.

"Just in case you forgot," says Asato, spinning on his heel to stomp to the showers. His mood sours further when he spots Seiji smirking at him. Asato flips him the bird.

Seiji mimics snapping a picture and Asato freezes. Shit, he had forgotten that the stupid freshmen had taken a picture. He stomps back to the grinning pair.

"Give me that picture."

Akiyo looks at his brother before grinning, "Nah, I don't feel like it."

Akaya sighed, "Hand it over, brat. As your captain, I'm giving you your first order, isn't it great?"

Akiyo sighs before slipping a hand into his pocket to hand the picture to Asato.

Akaya raises an eyebrow, "Why are you giving it to _him_? I meant that you have to hand the picture to _me_."

Asato freezes, "What?"

"I did tell you not to mess with the club's facilities, Asato. Those lockers cost money you know, and repairing Seiji's locker door cut a hole in our budget."

Asato almost lunges at Akaya in fury, before remembering who he was dealing with. _No_ one has won a one on one fight with Akaya before, and now the guy was his captain, who could cut him off the team at a moment's notice.

(Not that Akaya would, because Asato _was_ a good player, but he didn't need to know that.)

Instead, he whirls around and heads to the showers for real this time, scowling and snarling threats all the way.

Akaya winks at the twins slightly, "Any other such pictures would be extremely welcome."

Hideki coughs slightly from his seat, "Except of me."

"Especially of the vice-captain," continues Akaya blithely.

The twins are looking at each other then at their new captain in awe. Well damn, Kirihara-buchou was pretty awesome.

Akaya reads their expression correctly, and says, "I know, I _am_ awesome."

Kiyoshi, who has just entered the club room with Yao, scoffs, "Someone's getting a swelled head."

"That's because I've got something to be proud of, Kiyoshi, unlike you."

Kiyoshi smiles wryly, "I'm perfectly happy being me, Kirihara-buchou."

"It'd be better if you weren't and actually bothered improving yourself," says Akaya, seizing the chance.

"Mah… That'd be too much trouble. I'm getting by, aren't I?" says Kiyoshi flippantly.

Akaya's eyes narrow. He might have to set up a match during Regionals that Kiyoshi was sure to lose. Maybe that'd give the boy a much-needed kick in the ass.

"If you want to remain a member of the Regulars, Kiyoshi, I would suggest trying. You won't be 'getting by' all the time if you don't improve. This is Rikkai, after all," says Akaya, all traces of humour gone.

Kiyoshi shrugs.

Akaya feels an overwhelming urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. What the hell was he going to do with this guy?

Yao stares at the mess in the club room and the two new members present, "What happened here?"

Yukio smiles slightly, "Hello. Are you a year mate of ours? You seem the right height. In fact, below the right height… And this was simply a way of announcing our presence."

Everyone in the club freezes. Although Yao employs his lack of height and cuteness for his own advantage, he hates having it pointed out. Hell hath no fury like a Yao scorned.

"I am a third year." Says Yao in chilly tones.

The twins stare at the Chinese boy up and down, "Really?"

"Yes." That word was enough to freeze hell over.

The twins wisely decide to back off. They might like pushing limits, but the glare the shorter boy was giving them promised death. It was amazing how such a cute-looking guy could exude an aura of pure demonic hell. "Sorry, won't happen again."

"It better not. Or I will gut one of you, stuff his appendix into the other's larynx, and bend both of you so far backwards that I can shove your mouth into your foot. Backwards. I'm pretty sure that it'll break most of your spine and possibly a couple other things, but that's okay, isn't it?" says Yao with a pleasant smile.

The twins take a step backwards. That had been extraordinarily graphic.

Akaya grins, "Now, now, Yao. No scaring the firsties. From what I hear, they might be the best shot we have at a doubles pair."

Akiyo immediately stands straight, "That's right."

"We're going to decimate all the other doubles pairs out there!" adds Yukio.

"Glad to hear it. I hope you have the skills to back up your talk," says Akaya dryly.

"You bet we do!" declares Yukio.

"Wonderful. We'll see. Today I have to deal with the finicky little details like introductions and such, but you two will play a match against Asato and Seiji tomorrow. Two birds with one stone. I get Asato off my back and I get to see you two play. Got it?"

"Aye-aye, captain," say the twins together, with a mischievous twinkle in their eyes.

"Good. Anyway, Hideki, come on, I need to talk with you about something," calls Akaya as he exits the clubroom.

"So… What did you want to talk about?" asks Hideki as they walk past the courts where the new members are starting to gather. "And are you sure about setting Asato and Seiji on those two already? Especially with how angry Asato is with them…"

"Trust me on this, Hideki. I saw a recording of one of their matches with Yanagi-senpai. I have a feeling those two are going to be worth the trouble they're bound to cause."

"If you say so, captain. So, the important issue?"

"Kiyoshi. How the heck do we get him to wake up and smell the daisies? He's so unmotivated, it's killing me!"

Hideki pushes his glasses up his nose further. He knew exactly why Akaya was so irked by Kiyoshi's don't care attitude. For someone who was as passionate about tennis as his captain, Kiyoshi's uncaring way of looking at it got right on Akaya's nerves. He mulled the problem over. After several moments, he asked, "Is it possible for you to arrange a practice match with, say, Sanada-sempai? Or if possible Hyotei's Oshitari Yuushi?"

Akaya's eyes widened. Sanada probably would say yes, but Hideki had a point when he mentioned Oshitari. That guy was a flippant genius, but he did have drive and was extremely talented… He'd be perfect.

"Hideki, you are a genius."

Hideki grinned, "Coming from you, buchou, that's like an Oscar award. So, thank you. It's nice to know someone loves me."

"Hideki, just shut up."

"So cruel! I thought you _loved_ me…"

Akaya's eye twitched. He really did appreciate his vice-captain's ideas, but sometimes the boy was just exasperating. "I said that I appreciated your help, I never mentioned anything about loving you. You came up with that all on your own."

"You break my heart, Kirihara-buchou…" Hideki is clutching at his heart and swaying dramatically now. All the freshmen are looking at him with wide eyes, as one of them exclaims that the pair over there is their captain and vice-captain.

"Hideki, seriously, you're scaring the newbies. Let's try not to drive them off before they even start playing."

"Scare the new children? Our babies? Of course not! I must go and introduce them to their new parents! Come on, Kirihara-buchou!"

"… New parents? Babies?"

"Of course! We care for them, we nurture them, we provide money…"

"By all rights, it's the school that provides the money. We just decide what to spend it on. And the other two just sound creepy," deadpans Akaya.

"Details, details. And it might sound a bit weird, but it's true!"

Deciding that arguing with Hideki in one of his _moods_ is a lost cause, Akaya sighs, "As long as I'm the dad. And please make it clear that we are not married. And make a note that I refuse to call them babies."

"You mean that the entire group over there are bastards?" wails Hideki with all the dramatics he can muster, "I mean, I know you don't love me, but we should at least try for the children! I'm even willing to be the mummy!"

Akaya feels the overwhelming urge to bang his against the nearest available wall.

Hideki was a great vice-captain, but he was also excellent at getting on Akaya's nerves and tap-dancing a symphony on them.

Really, the things Akaya had to deal with.

Hideki flutters over to the group of bewildered first years, "It's okay, mummy's here! Daddy's just being grumpy…"

Great. Rikkai might have a harsh system of rooting out the weak and undetermined, but Hideki just might be able to drive off even the steeliest of them all.

And here he thought that last year's Regulars were as insane as anyone could get.

Bloody Hideki.

-0-0-0-

Omake: (Remember the letter mentioned in the last chapter? Here it is.)_  
_

_Dear Yukimura-buchou, (And fukubuchou and Yanagi-senpai)_

_After dealing with the idiots in my team, I've come to realize I owe you an apology for being such a brat. I mean, I was an _awesome_ brat, unlike the retards in my team, but still... _

_Thanks for all your guidance (but not fukubuchou's slaps). _

_You were an awesome captain, seriously._

_And I guess fukubuchou did a good job too, but please tell him to take that stick out of his ass._

_Although Yanagi-senpai still creeps me out, I guess I need to thank him too. But please tell him that I don't like him predicting what colour underwear I'm wearing, that's just disturbing._

_Yukimura-buchou, you are like, right up there with crayons and Guitar Hero. And everyone knows they're like, the two greatest things ever created. Well, you're even better than them! You are God! _

_Fukubuchou's a... hamster? Yes. Hamsters are good, but lower than crayons, Guitar Hero and jelly. And Yukimura-buchou too, of course. That sounds about right.  
_

_Yanagi-senpai's like... Let's see... He ranks in between crayons and jelly, so he should be... Uh... I know! Yanagi-senpai's like DDR! Which is nice, crazy fun. And the image of Yanagi-senpai playing DDR was just too good to pass up._

_So, yeah, I just really wanted to thank you guys and apologize for all the trouble I caused._

_You were awesome senpai, really._

_So, that's it, _

_-Akaya_

Yukimura was touched, Sanada's eye twitched and Yanagi surreptitiously shoved the picture of him playing DDR with Sadaharu further under his bed.

Just your everyday Rikkai madness, in other words._  
_

-0-0-0-

_Ramblings:_

_This doesn't flow as smoothly as I'd like, but I'm tired... So... _

_This is meant to be separated into Akaya As The Team Baby and Akaya As The Team Captain. I hope that's clear..._

_I'll be giving the twins more distinct personalities in the next chapter. But I'm going to have fun with those two..._

_I'm totally overusing '...'s._

_You know, when I wrote about Sanada and Atobe, I wrote 'At least Atobe only stole his balls'. Then the sentence sunk in, and I laughed myself silly before changing it.__  
_

_I hope my OCs aren't annoying. If they are, please tell me outright so I can fix it. I won't make any of my characters perfect, because I hate Mary-Sues (Or in this case Gary-Stus), but if they're really unlikable, I'll try to make them likable._

_I'm planning to introduce the other schools as well, any suggestions on who should be first?  
_

_Much love,_

_~FO  
_


	4. Sadism For The Win

**Passing the Torch:**

**Sadism For The Win**

_Chapter Summary: In which Akaya proves he has a sadistic streak a mile long, and he doesn't necessarily have to satisfy it with bruises**. **Psychological torture works just as well. But Hideki naturally proves that he's better at it. At least when it comes to Daddy Akaya._**  
**

The next day dawns bright and clear.

Which was, thinks Akaya, a complete contrast to the tension running through the Rikkai tennis team.

Word gets around fast, especially in school, so the entire team (and quite a portion of the school) knew that a pair of first-year twins had challenged the Regular Seiji-Asato pair to a match. They can't believe the _nerve_ of the freshmen, but a rather large amount hoped to see the Regular pair taken down a peg or two.

Asato and Seiji don't have many fans, what with their abrasive attitudes. They have respect, yes, but not liking. Almost everyone has _some_ bone or other to pick with one of them.

"You know, I think we might as well cancel practice today," Akaya says to Hideki. "Everyone's not concentrating anyway. They're just staring at those four warming up."

Hideki laughs, "And betting, don't forget that."

"Spread the word that I don't agree with that, would you? It would be terrible if word got out that Rikkai's captain endorses gambling," mutters Akaya.

Without missing a beat, Hideki says, "Sure thing, captain. And I'll put you down for one thousand yen on the Satoru twins?"

"Of course not. Put me down for five," says Akaya, while he surveys the courts.

"That confident, Kirihara-buchou?"

"I've got a feeling," Leaving it at that, Akaya calls out, "Satoru-Satoru pair! Seiji-Asato pair! To Court A now!"

Akiyo (If he was guessing right, because he still hadn't gotten the knack of telling them apart, just yet) calls back, "Just say Yukio-Akiyo pair, Kirihara buchou! Satoru-Satoru pair sounds stupid!"

His twin bonks him upside the head, "It's Akiyo-Yukio pair, retard! We all know that I'm better, so I should go first!"

The other, now revealed to be Yukio, rubbed his head while pouting, "Respect your older brother, Aki-chan. And Yukio-Akiyo sounds better anyway."

"Aww… Is Yuki-chan feeling sour? Sides', my name comes first in the alphabet, so it should be Akiyo-Yukio."

Rolling his eyes in exasperation, Akaya shouts, "I don't care if you want to be called Idiot-Retard pair! Just get on the courts now!"

With identical cheeky grins, the twins pivot on their heels and march to the courts in perfect sync.

Hideki chuckles, "Even if they don't make it onto the team, I get the feeling that the Satoru brothers are going to make our lives _very_ interesting. They're so cute, aren't they?"

"Seiji and Asato don't think so. Look at their faces…" says Akaya, eyeing the mutinous expressions of their violent little pair as they watched their opponents' theatrics.

"Ah… It's just a little sibling rivalry, ne' Daddy Akaya? It's proof of a healthy family relationship!" coos Hideki with a silly grin.

"Hideki! Will you stop it with the family thing already! I got enough of that last year!" growls Akaya.

Hideki's grin morphs into a smirk, "Is that so, _Aka-chan_?"

"I'm going to throttle you, Hideki, just so you know."

Hideki waves a hand indifferently, "That can wait, and you can try. The kiddos are about to start."

Akaya sighs and let himself slip into what the rest of the team had dubbed as his "I Will Now Start Picking Your Play Style Apart Mercilessly, So Watch Out" Mode.

(Akaya thinks that they should come up with a snappier name.)

Seiji is up at the net, and Asato's already thrown the ball up in the air, but not before giving his wrist that little twist that made his serve as deadly as it is.

The twins are both bent low, and Akaya appreciatively notes the way their position is perfect for making the fastest step towards the ball possible.

Idly, he notes the slight tilt of Akiyo's head (who's at the front) as he watches Asato slam the ball down.

'_Observant one, hmm?'_ thinks Akaya, eyes narrowed.

The serve teasingly shoots right past Akiyo, before heading straight for Yukio's stomach.

It seemed that Asato meant to take the game right from the start.

Yukio takes two steps back, just enough to get the perfect angle for a sharp shot right into the corner of the court.

Seiji dashes forward and slams the ball back ferociously.

As the game progresses, Akaya is surprised when he realizes that the twins play a very analytical game. He'd expected them to be wilder… He'd watched the videos, but you could only notice so much when the camera man had an annoying tendency to veer off the players at the most inopportune moments.

Watching them now, Akaya can't help but be reminded of Yanagi-senpai and that bespectacled nerd from Seigaku (Ifui? Inui? Whatever). But the main difference is that while his senpai play by data, the twins work purely by instinct. And they're synchronism is eerily perfect.

Hideki whistles, "I can see why you've got confidence in them."

Akaya shrugs, "Asato and Seiji won't go down without a fight though."

Right on cue, the older pair rush up to the net, and start a vicious rally for the ball.

The match goes on for what seems like an age, before Akiyo and Yukio start to move in exact duplicates of each other, except in mirror image. The effect is disconcerting.

As he smashes the point home, Yukio raises his hand in a cheeky fist, "Mirror Formation Satoru Style!"

Akaya can't help but be impressed. His eyes had felt tired just by watching.

"It's really a pity I can't play doubles worth jackshit," Akaya mutters to Hideki. "I'd love to try playing against that formation."

"There's always Yanagi-senpai."

"Hmm… You might be onto something."

"Aren't I always?"

"Hideki, why do you always have to ruin any compliment I give you?"

"Because, Kirihara-buchou's just so _cute_ when he looks exasperated!"

"… Just watch the game, Hideki."

"Fine, fine."

Akaya can feel his eyes protesting as he carefully watches every move made by the twins, who are zig-zagging, jumping, just _moving_ in exact mirror images of each other. It gets worse when the pair move to the middle, because then you just have to guess who's going to hit the ball next. It's impossible to tell.

The game ends 6-4. Seiji and Asato hadn't been able to win a game since the twins had pulled out their formation.

Clapping, Akaya strides onto the court, "Nice game. Seiji-Asato, you both have to work on your stamina. And your level of synchrony. The pair of you are good, but as you can see, against a _proper_ doubles pair, you two don't stand a chance."

The twins are both wearing arrogant Cheshire-cat grins, so Akaya immediately turns on them, "And the pair of you… You're both good, I'll give you that, but Akiyo, you need to work on your backhand. It's a bit weak. Yukio, you have a tendency to twist your wrist too far to the right when you serve. Fix that. And…"

The list goes on. By the end of it, the four players look like a mixture of resentful respect and admiring awe.

"Damn, buchou, you got that much from watching one set?" says Akiyo, eyes wide.

"You'll learn how to do it too," replies Akaya, narrowing his eyes, "Even if I have to split your skulls open to hammer the information in."

Seiji scowls, "That ready to give your precious techniques over to us, hmm, Kirihara-buchou? Aren't you scared that I'll use it to pummel your face in?"

"Go ahead and try, brat," says Akaya nonchalantly, "I'll give you a bouquet the day you win a game against me."

Seiji's scowl deepens, "I will one day, you wait and see. I swear it."

With a slight pang, Akaya remembers his own promise to his senpai. The promise that he would one day defeat them.

He hated how these feelings of loneliness and nostalgia would hit at the most random times.

Forcefully brushing away the thought, he says, "I'll be waiting, then."

With a final glare, Seiji strides out of the court, Asato soon following him. As they are leaving, Akaya can hear Asato muttering, "I told you we should've gone with the…"

Akaya knows that their usual accusatory screaming match is about to get underway. He'd step in, but it seemed to be a necessary gear in their dysfunctional relationship, so whatever.

Turning, he says to the twins, "The pair of you are now part of the Regulars. It's a bit unorthodox, but then again, I'm an unorthodox captain. Both of you are only on probation, mind you, just like Saburo, Tatami, Kaita, and Morumaki."

With proud grins, the pair salutes him, "Sure thing, captain!"

"I expect the best from you two, since I'm giving you such a favour."

"Aye, aye!"

Surpressing a chuckle, Akaya turns and faces the rest of the club, "That'll be 80 laps for getting distracted and stopping practice to watch the match!"

Their jaws drop.

Hideki laughs, "You're a cruel, cruel bastard, Kirihara-buchou. You were the one saying you might as well cancel practice."

"But I never actually _did._" Stifling a smirk, Akaya put on his best angry face, "What are you waiting for! That's 90 laps! And it'll be a hundred if you don't start _right now_."

The Rikkai team is smart enough to know when to back down, so they start running, but not without a truckload of groans and grumbles.

Hideki bows to Akaya dramatically, "You, captain, are one heck of manipulative ass. Not only did they get to watch an awesome match, but you also get the sadistic pleasure of making them run laps. All by saying that you were _considering_ cancelling practice in a louder than necessary voice…"

Akaya's eyes widen in his best innocent stare, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Akiyo and Yukio, who were still hanging back, having been exempted from the laps, start laughing. "Kirihara-buchou, you are one helluva guy, did you know?"

"Of course I do. Now go and grab Hideki and play a match with him. One-on-one. And don't let him rest in between."

Grinning, the pair moves to do so.

As they grab Hideki by the arms and drag him off, his vice-captain yells, "Worry not, darling! Your wife will be back soon!"

"Take him and never come back," yells Akaya in return.

All alone on the courts now, since the rest of the team are either still running their laps, having their usual shouting match, or in the case of the twins, probably trying to traumatize Hideki (Akaya however, had no doubt that the ones who would be scarred for life were the twins), so he had a few seconds of blessed _peace_.

Not really, because he still had a billion or so things left on his to-do list, but damned it, they could go screw themselves. He needed a bit of relaxation.

At least Hideki wasn't around to screw _that_ over at least.

For now.

-0-0-0-

Omake:

"And so as punishment for wrecking the shower room, and dying Kiyoshi's hair green by accident," Akaya says smoothly, "You will both be painting the laboratory roof. But of course, you'll need to clean them first. I think there are several loose tiles that need replacing too. Isn't it nice that our school's lab has a nice, _high_, slanting roof?"

With a perverse sort of delight, Akaya watches Asato pale. Seiji looks nonchalant as ever, and seems to be deriving the same sort of pleasure as Akaya from watching his doubles partner turn a mild shade of green.

Before Seiji can open his mouth to insult Asato though, Akaya continues, a wicked smirk now adorning his face, "And you'll both be wearing maid outfits. _French_ maid outfits. Courtesy of Niou-senpai. If I remember right, they're very frilly and lacey and _short_. Isn't that wonderful?"

Asato's face looks like its going to implode from a mixture of terror, embarrassment and rage.

Seiji's face, however, tops it. His eyes are wide, his mouth is open, his body is shaking with suppressed rage… He's gaping like a fish out of water, "Y-you can't do that! It's against the school rules for you to exact that kind of punishment!"

Akaya can almost hear the petulant '_So There!'_ tagged onto the back of the sentence.

With an evil grin, Akaya pulls out his ace, "Only if it's involuntary. For one thing, those maid outfits were designed by _your mother_, Seiji, and I'm sure she'd be ever so hurt if she heard that her son refuses to model any of her designs…"

Seiji looks like he wants to commit homicide, but he shuts up. His mother was scarier than Seiji himself and Kirihara-buchou by at least 700 times. "Ass."

"You're welcome for the free publicity. Since I will, of course, be taking pictures. And Asato, before _you_ can protest, please note that my father works at Tokyo Tower, and I hear that the top floor and _above_ needs a scrub. You _could_ wear your own clothes in that case, but it's all up to you…"

Kiyoshi grins, evil vindictiveness radiating off of him, "Take that, bastard that dyed my hair green!"

Akaya sighs, "Shut up, Kiyoshi. I'm kicking some ass here."

Kiyoshi considers arguing, but decides that it's much too fun watching Kirihara-buchou humiliate and torture their doubles pair to interrupt.

Akaya turned back to the sour-looking pair with an evil gleam in his eyes.

Asato repressed the urge to gulp.

Goddamnedit, Kirihara-buchou was _scary_.

And that was how pictures of Asato and Seiji cleaning the laboratory roof in maid outfits found their way onto posters all over the school.

On an interesting note, Seiji looked gorgeous in the outfit, since his mother knew his measurements perfectly and exactly how to flatter them.

(Seiji's fan club grew that day to include several girls with fetishes and a couple of fan boys. Seiji is highly disturbed and vows to get Kirihara-buchou back for this.)

Whereas Asato looked very awkward, what with him being tall and lanky and unquestionably masculine. And don't forget the fact that he was lying on the roof unconscious with a puddle of vomit next to him. That definitely contributed to the awkward factor.

Akaya didn't stop laughing for a week.

And as a matter of fact, neither did anyone else.

Except for Asato and Seiji, of course. They just punched anyone who mentioned the incident.

Akaya promises himself that he has _got_ to buy Yukimura-buchou something nice for giving this little idea to him.

Maybe a box of crayons?

Or a hamster that looked like fukubuchou?

Hmm… This required further consideration.

-0-0-0-

_The title has nothing to do with the actual story. But, well, I could think of nothing._

_This chapter's really 90 percent filler. It's just a little outlet for my insanity, and though it doesn't have much in the way of ploy, I hope that it at least made you smile._

_I'm regretting writing this story in present tense. What in the world possessed me to do that?_

_Ah well…_

_I'll do my best to introduce Hyotei next round!_

_And focus on Yao and Kiyoshi a bit more, because those two have gotten zero screen time. XD_

_Oh, and for anyone that doesn't know, Aka-chan means baby._

_I'm sad... I tried very hard to make the deadline of last Friday/Saturday, but FFnet wouldn't let me post it until today...  
_

_Loves,_

_~FO_


	5. In Which Canon Meets Fiction

_A/N: There's a biography of the OCs at the bottom of this page, for anyone who has problem remembering who's who._

**Passing The Torch:**

**In which Canon meets Fiction**

_Chapter Summary: Where there is an explosion of characters, and Akaya realizes that he'll probably go crazy next year. If he hasn't already, of course, which is highly debatable. Oh Hell._

"Oshitari, are you up for a game against one of my teammates this weekend?" asks Akaya, holding the phone with his shoulder as he reviewed a price list for ball-feeding machines.

There's a grainy chuckle over the phone, and Oshitari replies, "Why would I help one of _Rikkai_? My loyalties still lie with Hyotei, you know…"

"Because you love a good game?" wheedles Akaya, knowing full well that Oshitari won't buy it for a second.

"Pull the other one, it's got bells on. Come on, Kirihara, surely Yukimura didn't leave Rikkai with such a stupid captain." Oshitari's voice is carefully kept free of any mocking notes, which says more than anything.

Akaya rolls his eyes and silently curses Kiyoshi for causing him to have to deal with the freaking smug genius known as Oshitari Yuushi, "It was worth a shot. But fine, how about I offer you some black mail material on the old Regulars of your choice? Excluding Yukimura-senpai, because no one gets _anything_ on him."

"Such a pity. I would have loved to know what kind of things your captain got up to. But well, it _is_ a tempting offer. I'll let you decide between either Yanagi-kun or Niou-kun. It's _your_ head they'll be after." There's a wry note to Oshitari's voice that reminds him of Yagyuu at his snidest.

Yagyuu and Oshitari were _never_ to speak. Ever. The thought of the pair ever collaborating sends shivers down his spine.

It promises to be even worse than the established Yagyuu-Niou pair.

Eek.

Dragging himself back to the present, Akaya deliberates between the pros and cons of tossing Yanagi and Niou to the mercy (or not really, because Rikkai were hardly that weak either) of Oshitari. "I'll dish you the dirt on Yanagi-senpai, okay?"

Oshitari smirks so much that Akaya can _feel_ it through the phone, "Deal. So I'll be seeing you at the street courts near Hyotei? This Sunday?"

"Sure. Be there at ten. We have a few games set up."

"And who with?"

Akaya grins slightly, glad for being able to hold something over from Oshitari, at least. "You'll just have to see, won't you?"

Wry, Oshitari shoots right back, "Ah… I just hope to see Kikumaru-kun and Oishi-kun there then. I think Gakuto misses screaming at Kikumaru-kun."

Cursing mentally,- because _how_ does Oshitari know all his plans? - Akaya replies, "My lips are sealed."

"Really now? Well, I'll see you Sunday. I hope that this Regular of yours has some potential at least. Because I'll be horribly disappointed if I get bored."

"Hello, we're_ Rikkai_," says Akaya, offended, "But yes, this Sunday. And I hope that I have your word that you won't tattle our secrets to the Hyotei Middle School Team?" His voice is stern now, brooking no argument.

Oshitari laughs, and says, "Yes, yes. I know how these things work you know. You'll have to shut Shishido up though; he's never been able to keep anything from Ohtori."

"Who said I was inviting him?" frowns Akaya.

"It doesn't matter, I'm bringing the old team along anyway. But don't worry, our juniors will be nice and snug at the middle school."

Sighing, Akaya gives in, "Fine. Bye."

"Nice talking to you, Kirihara. Bye."

The conversation shuts off and Akaya promptly slams his head against the table.

God. Why did he attract/have to communicate with _all _the freaking psychopathic, manipulative seniors?

He'd better call the senpai-tachi to run damage control.

Yeah, that was a good idea, except who would run damage control on _them?_

Maybe if he begged Yukimura-buchou really nicely….

Damn it all!

-0-0-0-

Sunday decides to grace them with clouds and aridly humid air.

Akaya hasn't even warmed up and he can _already_ feel the sweat beading up.

… He hated humidity.

Hideki notices his captain's dour mood, and chuckles, "Lighten up, Daddy Akaya! We don't want the guests to think you're an ungracious host!"

"Hideki, _please_ behave yourself today. I don't want the seniors to think that Rikkai has an idiot for a vice-captain," sighs Akaya in return.

"All the worse for them, then?" There's a glint in Hideki's eyes that reminds Akaya exactly _why_ the flamboyant boy has survived thus far at Rikkai, and Akaya nods slightly.

"If you wish, then, but nothing too extravagant, or insulting to me, okay?" says Akaya.

Hideki laughs and winks at him, and Akaya carefully reminds himself not to give Hideki any openings today.

He had an image to maintain, after all.

Asato saunters over and drapes himself over the partition separating the benches and the court, and says, "So, Kirihara-buchou, who will we be pummeling today?"

Akaya turns to stare at him, and Asato fidgets slightly, but holds his gaze and says, "We _are_ going to win. At least I am, and Seiji had better not get in my way. The rest of you… meh."

Akaya growls softly, "Do not get overconfident, Asato. Did you think that I invited amateurs to play you? What would the purpose be in that?"

Seiji joins in the conversation and repeats Asato's question, "So who are our opponents that you so _thoughtfully_ invited then?"

"How politely phrased, Seiji, I didn't know you had it in you," teases Akaya lightly, before saying, "I invited Hyotei's Oshitari Yuushi, the Seigaku Golden Pair, Yanagi-senpai, Sanada-senpai, Seigaku's Kawamura Takashi, and Yukimura-senpai, but _he's_ just going to be supervising, of course. You know as well as I do that playing him will just be pointless."

Seiji frowns slightly, "Yanagi-senpai and Sanada-senpai? Why them? I thought the point of today was to challenge some of the old seniors from other schools? The old Rikkai batch will probably be willing to play us anytime."

"I thoughtfully chose them for you and Asato." Akaya's eyes narrow slightly, all traces of humour gone, "I am not setting the pair of you up with just _any_ team until I'm sure that it'll be blood-free. That's why I chose a pair that could fight back."

Asato's confidence drops several notches, "We'll be playing _those two?_"

Hideki grins, "Now, now, Asato, don't be so down, turn that frown upside down."

"… Hideki, I know I said you could be insane today, but if you ever say that again, I will hunt you down," groans Akaya, incredulous at the utter cheesiness and lameness of that statement.

"Yes, yes," says Hideki, waving a hand flamboyantly.

Akaya's eyes narrow as he spots a group walking over that he identifies as the entirety of the graduated Hyotei Regulars, and he barks, "Akiyo! Yukio! Yao! Kiyoshi! Get your asses over here, now!"

The four who had been languidly chatting on the bench get up and jog over.

The twins have identical smirks on their faces as they look at Akaya, and Akaya sighs resignedly and says, "So what did Kiyoshi and Yao tell you?"

"Oh nothing… Just that you once wore Christmas jumper in July, because you wanted Christmas in June, except that you bought the jumper late." Grins Yukio.

Akaya levels a glare at his two smirking year mates and says, "Speak of that ever again, and you shall die."

Yao flips his longish hair and grins, "Of course, buchou! After all, there's _so many_ other stories to tell, why ever would I repeat one?"

"Precisely, Kirihara-buchou," smiles Kiyoshi blandly, "I'm hurt that you think so little of our memories and creativity."

"Just shut up," grouches Akaya, "The Hyotei team's here. And Oshitari brought all his teammates, just as I thought he would."

Oshitari overhears him and laughs, "More like I told you I would."

Akaya shrugs and greets them, "Hello Cocky Drama Queen…"

Atobe levels a glare at him and says, "Did you just insult ore-sama's magnifi-"

Akaya continues right on, ignoring him, "Smirky Bastard…"

Oshitari looks perversely proud of the title and smirks.

Internally, Akaya rolls his eyes, and proceeds, "Flippy Bitch."

Gakuto begins his ready-to-go rant which all of Hyotei carefully directs to Oshitari, who simply nods idly.

"Arrogant Cap Guy…"

Shishido scowls and crosses his arms, and Akaya can hear someone whisper teasingly, "Aww… Shishido's grumpy without his kouhai…"

As Shishido glares at the offending person, Akaya continues right on, "Expressionless Yes-Man… and Marui-obsessed sleep addict."

Finishing, Akaya smiles smugly as three quarters of the group scowl at him sourly.

(Except for Oshitari who, as mentioned, is perversely proud; Jirou, who immediately sat up and said, "Marui! Where!" Before noticing the absence of any Marui related features, and fell back asleep; Well, Kabaji technically had no expression, but Atobe counted enough for both of them anyway.)

After a few seconds, Akaya backtracks and stares at Kabaji, "Wait… I thought I said _no_ Middle School members, and I'm pretty sure freaky big guy here is a third year."

"Don't worry, Kabaji won't tell anyone about your secret powers, ne Kabaji?" drawls Atobe, staring at Akaya in challenge.

"Usu."

Akaya decides that this is one battle not worth fighting and acquiesces, "What ever."

(Did that Kabaji even _have_ vocal chords? Well, he did grunt out the occasional 'Usu', but maybe it was just that he didn't know any other words…? But it that was so, how'd he survive school? Maybe Atobe meddled? Oh hell, thinks Akaya, it wasn't his problem anyway.)

Akaya glances at his team before looking at Oshitari, "So do you want to play your match now, or wait for the other opponents?"

Oshitari smiles blandly and says, "I think that point is completely moot, seeing as they have just arrived."

Akaya spins on his heel and notices, that yes, the Golden Pair and Kawamura have arrived, and as he thought, they have dragged the rest of Seigaku with them, barring the new captain and vice-captain of their old team, of course.

(And thank god that the Echizen Brat had gone to America. Akaya still itched to play him, and crush him, of course, but that didn't mean that the smug kid couldn't get on his nerves.)

Waving a hand to tell Hideki to amuse the Hyotei team for the time being, Akaya strides over to the Seigaku group.

First, he gets the usual pleasantries over with and greets them with a smile, a wave, and a thanks.

At least, the ones he invited.

He just narrows his eyes at Tezuka, scowls at Fuji and silently indicates to Inui to burn his notebooks.

In return, Tezuka remains expressionless. Fuji smiles his creepy smile and Inui pushes his glasses up so that the light glints on them _just so_.

…

Akaya has just remembered why he hates Seigaku so much.

He turns to Oishi and asks, "I don't remember inviting the rest of your posse…"

Oishi apologetically rubs the back of his head and begins to speak, but Kikumaru cuts in before Oishi can get a word in, "Well, I told Fujiko that Rikkai's Kirihara invited us to play, and Fujiko said that it was interesting, and then he told Tezuka, and Tezuka nodded, but then Inui overheard, and he kind of went on a must-get-data thing, and well, one thing led to another, and here we all are! Besides, Kirihara-san doesn't mind, does he? The more the merrier, right?"

As Akaya slowly dissects the sentence into smaller, more understandable phrases, Oishi reprimands Eiji in the background for his presumption.

Akaya sighs and says, "Oh, what the hell… But I swear all of you to secrecy on whatever you might see here, as I am _sure_ you _will keep_."

The last words fall heavy and hang in the air for several seconds.

Abruptly, Fuji laughs and says, "Well, Kirihara, if you can keep this up on the courts, I look forward to playing you again."

For just the barest second, Akaya's eyes hold the demon. They don't bleed red, nor are they bloodthirsty or insane, but it's like a kind of quiet wildness that wants to brawl. Akaya has begun to learn how to harness the entity in him.

It's not quite complete, seeing as the demon still lashes out for control at times, but Akaya is learning how to chain it, and destroy it, and simply steal away its wild energy and power.

Leadership and pride teaches many things, even if it doesn't seem like it.

Fuji notices the wild glint, and smiles, "Ah… Interesting, Kirihara, interesting."

Satisfied that the message has gotten through, Akaya slips into his laid-back reputation, "Whatever you say, Fuji. Whatever."

There's suddenly several additions to the group, and Akaya notices that his old Rikkai team is here, in all their glory.

Or whatever it was called these days.

Yukimura smiles, and greets them all politely, and quietly indicates to Akaya that the courts are clear now.

Akaya gets the message, and calls out to Oshitari to get onto the courts.

Oshitari does so, and expectantly waits to see his opponent.

"Kiyoshi! Get your ass onto the courts now! I want to see a _game_!"

Kiyoshi gets off the bench and stretches, and laughs, "Calm down, Kirihara-buchou! I'll play as I want, and it'll all work out!"

Akaya scowls mentally, and opens his mouth to try and ram some common sense into that supposedly genius skull of his teammate, but then notices the flash of challenge in Oshitari's eyes, and decides to leave a genius to an older, more experienced genius.

Hideki detaches himself from the Hyotei group to stand by his side, and comments quietly, "I can see why you chose that one to play Kiyoshi. A manipulative bastard indeed."

Akaya hums in agreement and says, "And of the rest of them?"

Hideki smiles impishly, "I had much too much fun, let's just say…"

And indeed, the Hyotei group is staring bewilderedly at his vice-captain and look completely baffled.

Akaya would normally be face-palming himself, but Rikkai has played its mind games too often with Hyotei for him to care about decencies and sane images to that bunch, so he says, "Good job."

"Glad to know that the wonderful Lord of Rikkai appreciates the efforts of his humble jester."

Thrown, Akaya stares at Hideki in amazement, "Do you spend all your time coming up with new titles and stories to stick the Rikkai team into or something?"

Hideki grins and begins to ramble, "Hmm... But in this one, you're the lord, I'm the jester, Asato and Seiji are guards, Kiyoshi's the advisor, Yao's the prince, and the twins are the magicians."

Akaya sighs, gives up, and turns to the courts.

It was time for a game.

-0-0-0-

_Omake:_

Hideki strides over to the Hyotei group and bows flamboyantly and says, "I believe that this here if the Magnificent Atobe?"

Atobe preens slightly and says, "It's good to know that _someone_ in Rikkai recognizes and admits my brilliance."

Hideki smiles and continues, "The Genius of Hyotei, Oshitari."

"Yes." Oshitari is nothing as accepting as Atobe, and simply nods.

Hideki's eyes narrow slightly and he realizes that this one as to be watched carefully, but he knows how play this game, so he just grins wider and greets the short red-head next to Oshitari with a flourish, "The Greatest Tennis Acrobat, Gakuto…"

Gakuto grins and says, "That's right! Not that Kikumaru Eiji! And whatever your idiot of a captain says, I am not a flippy bitch! The disrespectful…"

Placatingly, Hideki says, "I'm sure the captain didn't mean it. He can be quite crass sometimes, but he's a good guy at heart."

"Humph. He can certainly learn some manners from you, no matter what you say," scoffs Gakuto.

Shrugging, Hideki proceeds with his unbarred flattery, "Mister Never-Say-Die and I Will Now Pound Your Face In, the wonderful Shishido?"

Shishido looks confused by his extraordinarily wordy title, as the rest of Hyotei conceal smirks.

Pleased with himself, Hideki says, "The God-gifted Jirou Akutagawa…"

Jirou yawns slightly and blinks blearily at him for several seconds, before grinning placidly and settling himself more comfortably on the ground.

"And this must be one of my opponents this year, The Excellent Mimic, Kabaji-kun?"

"Usu."

"Such an honour to meet all of you!" says Hideki happily, "I've heard so much of you, and I saw some of your games last year, and I must say, you all were magnificent."

The Hyotei bunch look extremely pleased at having their egos stroked.

"Such a shame, isn't it, Shishido-san, that Kirihara-buchou refuses to let Ohtori-kun here? It would've been such an amazing experience to watch the famed Silver Pair at work."

Shishido mutters something underneath his breath, and nods slightly.

Proceeding this way, Hideki flamboyantly praises everyone there.

He is stopped by Akaya's call for the matches to start and says, "Alas! Our time is up, and I must bid you all adieu! For my Lord Akaya calls for order, and the minutes we share are much too few!"

Grinning at the befuddled faces that Hyotei make at his parting rhyme, Hideki jogs over to Akaya.

_This was going to be fun indeed._

-0-0-0-

_A/N:_

_This is the aforementioned data I mentioned at the beginning of the chapter, and I hope you all find it useful!_

_**1. Hideki Haruko**_

_Name meaning: Hideki- __"splendid opportunity." ; Haruko - __First Born_

_Position: Vice Captain / Singles 2_

_Year: 3rd_

_Appearance: Wavy ash-blond hair, grey eyes, and slightly taller than Akaya. _

_Personality: Flamboyant, Dramatic, and absolutely deserving of the capital letters. He's quirky, eccentric, and very good at 'looking underneath the underneath' (Totally copyrighted that off Kakashi from Naruto). _

_Play Style: To Be Revealed._

_Family Members: Mom, Dad, Younger sister_

_**2. Yao Kai Lang **__**（**姚凯浪**）**_

_Name Meaning: Yao – Handsome, elegant (common Chinese surname) ; Kai – Triumph, victory ; Lang – Wave_

_Position: Singles 2/3 (Alternating with Hideki and Kiyoshi)_

_Year: 3rd_

_Appearance: Short, as in Ryoma's height, and Yao's _fourteen_. Shoulder-length black hair that he usually ties in a loose ponytail, with dark brown eyes. Very cute looking._

_Personality: Manipulative. Relatively quiet, but with a very graphic and violent imagination. Best friends with Kiyoshi._

_Play Style: Think Kamio combined with Kikumaru._

_Family Members: Mom, Dad, 3 older sisters, 1 older brother_

_**3. Kiyoshi Manabu **_

_Name Meaning : Kiyoshi – Pure ; Manabu – Learn_

_Position: Singles 3_

_Year: 3rd_

_Appearance: Tall, grayish blue hair and dark eyed. Wears spectacles._

_Personality: Calm, unflappable, and has a very don't-care attitude. He has the philosophy – As long as I get by, it's fine. But can be absolutely vicious when riled._

_Play Style: Mixture of Atobe, Oshitari and Fuji._

_Family Members: Dad, Mom, younger brother._

_**4. Asato Riku**_

_Name Meaning: Asato- Morning ; Riku – Earth_

_Position : Doubles 2 (With Seiji)_

_Year: 3rd _

_Appearance: Average height, well-built. Black hair with a bluish tint and dark blue eyes._

_Personality: Snarky, Vindictive and Vicious. He butts heads with Akaya a lot, but deep down, he respects him._

_Play Style: Think National Tachibana._

_Family Members: Mom, Older Brother._

_**5. Seiji Harada**_

_Name Meaning: Seiji - __refined second (son) ; Harada - __meadow rice field_

_Position: Doubles 2 (With Asato)_

_Year: 2nd _

_Appearance: Approximately the same height as Akaya. Black haired and purple eyed. _

_Personality: Vicious, Sadistic and Wry. He has a love-hate relationship with Asato. They work well as a pair, but can't seem to stop going at each other's throats, but they do like each other. Kind of._

_Play Style: Think Akaya in Red-Eye Mode. Less of Akaya's precision, but has a faster swing._

_Family Members: Mom, Dad, Older Brother._

_**6. Satoru Yukio**_

_Name Meaning: Satoru – Dawn ; Yukio – Yuki = Snow , O = Blue/Green (Yukio can also mean gets what he wants)_

_Position: Doubles 1_

_Year: 1st_

_Appearance: Spiky Orangey-red hair, yellowish brown eyes, and quite tall. _

_Personality: Mischievous, ingenious and competitive. He's slightly more mature than his younger twin, and has the odd quirk of cursing in Mandarin, much to Yao's amusement._

_Play Style: Kind of like the Yanagi-Inui pair, but none of the percentages thing. I suppose that's a bit like Niou… Anyway, they have an eerie degree of synchronism._

_Family Members: Dad, Older Sister, Twin Brother_

_**7. Satoru Akiyo **_

_Name Meaning: Satoru – Dawn ; Akiyo – White world_

_Position: Doubles 1_

_Year: 1st_

_Appearance: Slightly spikier hair than Yukio, other than that, completely similar to Yukio._

_Personality: Mischievous, ingenious and competitive. He can be a bit bratty, but he's kind at heart. He's often teased by Yukio for having a name that is sometimes used for girls. He's an excellent cook, unlike Yukio, who creates delicious looking delicacies…. Which taste like shit._

_Play Style: Kind of like the Yanagi-Inui pair, but none of the percentages thing. I suppose that's a bit like Niou… Anyway, they have an eerie degree of synchronism._

_Family Members: Dad, Older Sister, Twin Brother_

_/_

_Sorry about how late this chapter is, but I was struck by a mild case of writer's block. I won't be able to update this weekend either, because I have to go to a Wind Orchestra competition, and it'll be boarding only, so no access to my computer… T.T_

_I hope all you liked this chapter, though I have to say this Omake isn't as crazy as the other ones._

_Therefore, I would like to ask everyone to request any one incident that I casually mentioned (or didn't mention) that you want to see, so that I have fuel for my omakes!_

_Loves,_

_~FO_


	6. Awakenings

**Passing The Torch:**

**Awakenings**

_Chapter summary: In which there are several awakenings, one of which is obvious, another which is not so happy, and another which involves Hideki's crazy glands. Mood swing chapter anyone?_

"4-1, Oshitari service!" calls Marui, the self-appointed referee.

"Go Yuushi!" yells Gakuto from the sidelines and Oshitari raises a hand in a lazy salute.

Yao leans forward on the railings and shouts, "Kiyoshi! What the hell are you doing! Wake up already!"

Kiyoshi only growls, but Akaya is pleased to note that there's a sudden flicker in the boy's eyes.

The only game that Kiyoshi has been able to keep is his first service game, and Akaya knows that the only reason he took _that_ game was because Oshitari let him. Just testing this new brat to see what the supposed 'genius' was capable of.

Oshitari has been slaughtering Kiyoshi.

_But,_ thinks Akaya,_ I get the feeling that that's about to change._

And suddenly the ball is slammed forward, barreling its way towards the left corner, and Kiyoshi clenches his racquet and suddenly the ball disappears.

There's a sharp metallic clang as the ball crashes against the fence, and Oshitari turns around and stares at it.

The court is silent.

Akaya smiles slightly to himself; it seems that Kiyoshi has woken up.

"Yeah!" cheers Yao, "That's it! Kiyoshi, if you go back to sleep after this, I'm going to kick your ass!"

Chuckling slightly, Kiyoshi nods at his best friend, "Yes, Yao. With you threatening me, there's no way I'd dare to lose."

"That's right, so go and show that smirky bastard what Rikkai's made of!"

Beside Yao, Hideki laughs in amusement, "Now, now Yao, calm down and watch the match like a good little boy, eh?"

Without even turning to look at Hideki, Yao's fist makes contact with Hideki's gut, "Don't call me little."

Hideki groans, clutching his stomach, "It was a figure of speech! Honestly, Yao… You wound me so… That really hurt too…"

Kiyoshi smirks, "And _that_ is why I don't mess with him."

Akaya sighs, "Behave yourselves, the lot of you! We're in public you know!"

"Yes, captain…" chorus the group of offenders.

Akaya stoutly ignores the smirks and chuckles emitting from the Rikkai graduates.

Marui hoots, "You're one to talk!"

Akaya ignores the jibe, and says, "Referee, aren't you supposed to call a score now?"

"Oh right! 40-15, Oshitari to serve!" Marui declares.

"About time we got on with it," says Oshitari dryly, but there's a calculating glint in his dark eyes as he stares at Kiyoshi now.

The serve is faster this time around, but once again, the ball seemed to disappear as soon as Kiyoshi's racquet makes contact with it.

Akaya's eyes narrow as he thinks, _It's not so much that it's going very fast, but more that it vibrates at high speed and flies towards the opposite angle that you'd expect it to go. That's why when we stare to the left, it flies to the right, and when we try staring at the right, it goes high instead. _

_Interesting._

Oshitari seems to have caught on, and he stares intently at the ball this time as he sends the ball flying across the net.

Akaya realizes that Oshitari means to ignore Kiyoshi and just follow the ball. Akaya nods slightly in approval.

This time, Oshitari manages to return the ball, but its unpredictable spin sends it flying into the net.

Akaya smirks. Now _this_ is what he had been waiting for.

Now just how to make sure this… _true_ Kiyoshi stays. He tilts his head slightly towards Hideki, eyes still trained on the game, and says, "What do you think?"

Hideki hums, "Hmm… Well, it's certainly an impressive maneuver, but you and I both know it won't be enough for this match."

Akaya chuckles, "Of course it won't be. You think I'd ask someone who is so easily defeated by one trick to play Kiyoshi?"

"Of course not, captain," grins Hideki, "After all, our great all-seeing boss would certainly not be as simple as that."

"And you know it. But I meant how do we make sure Kiyoshi plays like this _all the time_?"

"I don't think we can, Kirihara-buchou. It's just part of his nature. And you know that Rikkai as a rule rarely goes all out during easy matches anyway. The only person who really did in the old team was you, and that was just because you wanted to see how fast you could end a match, and even then you didn't use most of your best moves."

Akaya concedes the point, "Fair enough. But at least, we need Kiyoshi to realize _who_ the dangerous opponents are, and play for real then. And to not fool about in the easy matches. We are Rikkai, and though we _can_ go easy on some of the lamer teams, we must still _decimate_ them. We have a reputation, after all."

"Cruel, cruel captain," laughs Hideki lightly.

"You can't admit it isn't true."

"Oh I'm not saying it isn't. It's just people usually don't go and say it just like that."

Akaya shrugs.

Just then, Hideki whistles and Akaya's full concentration snaps back to the game. It appears that Oshitari had created a new move of his own to counter Kiyoshi's surprising shot.

Akaya shakes his head. He really wonders how these geniuses manage to pull something new out of their ass every single time.

A small part of him is jealous, and it is enough to catch the attention of the demon. It raises his head and whispers maliciously, _'I could give you the power to destroy all those pretty, useless moves of theirs. I could rip them apart, and if you want, there doesn't even have to be blood. I can always just bruise them, and tear their pride to shreds. Just let me out, and I could give you so much.'_

Angry at himself for letting the demon find a hand hold, he answers back, _'You'd give me so much-'_

'_Yes, Yes!' _ growls the demon, hoping that it has found a way in. _'So much power, so much fame. So much… So much…'_

'_-But you'd take away even more,' _Akaya finishes, _'So go back to where you were, you demon. I will never need you, _never_ again.'_

The demon is furious, but it knows to back down; it can't force its way in after all. It hisses, _'You say that now, but you will not change. You are a beast just like me. I was created from a part of your soul, you see. The day will come where you come begging me for my help again, and then, you will realize just how much the two of us are alike. You will enjoy it, you know. You will _love_ it.'_

The demon retreats back into the dark corner of Akaya's mind that it usually inhibits.

Shaken from the unexpected confrontation, Akaya releases an unsteady breath, but luckily, everyone is too engrossed in the game to notice. He hurriedly resets his mental barriers, but he is still shaken.

He tries to steady himself by fully throwing himself into analyzing the game, and is pleased when it calms him down quickly.

Eventually, the game ends 7-5, with a tiebreaker of 38-36.

Kiyoshi is panting, a fine film of sweat glistening on his skin. Akaya makes a note to train the boy's stamina. Kiyoshi is far too used to playing flippantly that going full out in a game drains him quicker than it should. It had been the main reason for his loss this round.

Calmly, Akaya calls his thanks and congratulations to Oshitari, who is smirking.

Oshitari nods and as Akaya passes by him, says in an undertone, "That's a rare gem you have there. I don't often play as invigorating a game as this."

"You can see why I haven't given up on the idiot then," replies Akaya easily.

"If you do give him up, I will kill you," remarks Oshitari idly, as if he were commenting on the weather, "I hate to see talent going to waste."

"Never knew you had it in you to care."

"Never knew _you_ had it in you to lead."

Akaya shrugs in response and conversation finished, proceeds towards the exhausted Kiyoshi.

For several seconds, he doesn't say anything, and just lets Kiyoshi get his breath back.

Kiyoshi pants, "I'm not going to lose next time."

"Good to know."

"The next time I play that smug bastard, he's going _down_."

"So you said."

Frustrated at his captain's lack of a reaction, Kiyoshi lifts his head to glare at Akaya.

There's silence for several seconds.

Finally, Akaya relents and says, "I doubt you'll have a chance to play Oshitari again in the near future, but don't worry, there will be loads of players at our level for you to play. But I expect this amount of drive _every_ time you play, even if it's against some unknown school. You know what happened last year; Fudomine was an unknown school before they managed to make Nationals suddenly."

"Didn't mean much though, making Nationals. You guys still slaughtered them. Obviously, even though they're a very unexpected dark horse, they can't hold a candle to a _real_ team. Especially with their precious captain gone."

"They've bound to have gotten better," says Akaya sternly, "Underestimating an opponent is something we should never do. Never again. You know we lost to Seigaku during Regionals because we were lax."

Kiyoshi sighs, and says, "Fine, I'll try to play seriously. It's just…"

"It's just that you somehow can't seem to find the beat in a mediocre game. You can't feel the thrum of adrenaline and wide-awakeness that you feel when you play a _real_ opponent. You can't lose yourself in the pure thrill of the game. Am I right?"

Wide eyed, Kiyoshi stares at Akaya, "How do you know that?"

"Because," Akaya grins slightly, "I go through that all the time. I think all good players do. But it's something all of us have to learn. We shouldn't wait for the rhythm to find us. If there is no thrum to fall into, we _create_ one. Do you understand?"

"I guess," murmurs Kiyoshi.

"You better," says Akaya, "Because if I catch you not trying, you should acquaint yourself with the Reserve position. You'll be really good friends if I think you deserve it."

"Aye, aye, captain."

"Now go and cool down, we have another match about to start."

Nodding, Kiyoshi walks off, and Akaya turns towards the rest of his team. Contemplatively staring at each one of them, he decides, "Okay, Akiyo, Yukio, your turn. Get onto the court _now_."

Grinning happily, Akiyo whoops, "Finally, we get to play! C'mon Yukio, let's go show whoever-the-hell-we're-playing the power of the Satoru twins!"

Rolling his eyes, Yukio slaps Akiyo up the head, "Shut it you moron! At the very least we should give 'whoever-the-hell-we're-playing' names!"

Akaya laughs and says, "The whoever the hells are Oishi and Kikumaru. The famous Golden pair."

Akiyo is rubbing the back of his head while glaring sourly at Yukio, "死笨蛋 (Stupid idiot), you didn't have to do that Yukio! I was just being enthusiastic for the both of us since something apparently crawled up your ass and died today."

Ignoring his twin's laments with simply an eye roll, Yukio grins, "You mean we get to play the top ranked doubles pair last year already? Score!"

Akiyo immediately perks up when he hears this, "Yes! You rock, Kirihara-buchou! And Yukio, you're gonna pay for that!"

Hideki promptly descends on him like an over-concerned mother, "Oh, poor Akiyo, being so poorly treated by your brother. It's okay, Mummy Hideki will kiss it better!"

Absolutely freaked out, Akiyo grabs Yukio's arm and drags his brother onto the court.

Rolling his eyes, Akaya turns to Hideki, "You just couldn't resist, could you?"

"Of course not," says Hideki, back to normal now, "Not when they're acting so stupidly. It's like… infectious or something."

"Are you sure _you_ aren't the one infecting _them_?"

Hideki sways dramatically and declares, "Oh, you wound me so, Kirihara-buchou! My heart feels torn in two that my most respected lord should think me stupid! Alas! The world is too cruel to this poor street boy!"

"A) You're from one of the most loaded families in Kanagawa, so you're certainly no poor street boy, B) If you're surprised by the fact that I call you an idiot by now, I have no comment and C) Don't call me your respected lord. That makes it sound like I own you or something, and that's just weird. Oh, and D) I rest my case."

Hideki sighs, "You have no dramatic sense in your soul, Kirihara-buchou. You should be glad that you have me to introduce you to the wonders of drama and exaggeration into your life! In fact, from now on I, Hideki Haruko, shall make it my life's mission to teach you the wonders of the theatre outside the theatre."

"No." Was all Akaya could say to that, but he said it _with great feeling._

And that was that. Or not really, because there was still a game going on and Hideki probably wouldn't be deterred by a simple 'No', but that's a story for another day.

-0-0-0-

_Omake: _

While Kiyoshi and Akaya were having their little master-student moment on the courts, Hideki was having his own little master-student session with his little 'padawans' as he had dubbed them.

Of course, in the team's case, they were less than ecstatic.

"So you see, my dear students, the one standing next to Yanagi-senpai –that's the senpai that always has his eyes closed, for Akiyo and Yukio, incase you two didn't know- is Inui. I think some of you might remember him when he played Yanagi last year, but for those that don't, all you need to know is that he's this pale, eccentric, data-obsessed nerd." He says by way of explanation.

Yao's brows are frowned as he says, "So he's exactly like Yanagi-senpai, except for the pale part?"

"Of course not!" proclaims Hideki, with an expression of exaggerated horror on his face, "Yanagi-senpai is from Rikkai, so he is definitely not an eccentric nerd! Data-obsessed yes, but not a nerd! How dare you say that Yao-chan!"

Deciding to ignore the 'chan', because even berserk-button Yao knows that Hideki is too weird and probably means nothing by it, Yao simply says, "But essentially, they're pretty alike in play style, right?"

"Well, pretty much. Except that Yanagi-senpai is much better of course. I mean, that Inui guy needs notebooks and Yanagi-senpai doesn't, which shows that Yanagi-senpai is much smarter than Inui."

Nodding sagely, Yukio comments, "And what about the guy standing next to this Inui guy?"

"Oh, that's Tezuka, the ex-captain of Seigaku, which is, by the way, our greatest nemesis. We have to revenge our loss from last year!"

Enthusiastically, Akiyo, Yukio and Yao pump their fists into the air while Seiji and Asato are staring at their teammates' weirdness in a kind of fascinated horror.

Noticing this, Hideki promptly rounds on the pair of them and says sternly, "Asato! Seiji! Why are the two of you so down? This is a team calling, and we need the pair of you to join in! Go on, say it, 'We are going to take Seigaku down! Yeah!'"

Unenthusiastically, Seiji and Asato say, "Yeah, Seigaku's going down. Yeah."

It's not that they _disagreed_ with Hideki's statement or anything, but Hideki's excessive enthusiasm just made them die a little inside.

Clicking his tongue, Hideki sighs, "The two you are such non-team players! Don't be a party-pooper, go on…"

Blinking slowly, Seiji and Asato carefully back away.

Gleeful at their (horrible, horrible mistake) move, Hideki points his finger and says, "Go, Yukio! Go, Akiyo! GET THEM!"

Delighted, the twins promptly lunge at the stupefied pair.

Grabbing the nearest thing, which happens to be his racquet, Hideki prepares to give Seiji and Asato a lesson on team spirit.

Oh, the fun!

-0-0-0-

_Uh, yeah, about the omake, I think I was on crack or something. Haha. _

_I'm really sorry about how late this is! I had mid-term exams, and my mum was like, 'NO USING THE COMPUTER!'_

_I was sad. Especially since the only computer in my house is in my parent's room, which means I have no chance of sneaking online._

_I hope you all aren't too mad. I'm pretty happy with this chapter honestly, and I hope all of you love this too._

_I wanted to do an omake of Oshitari, Yagyuu and Niou meeting, but I could think of no conceivable circumstances that would make them. So if anyone has ideas, please share them!_

_I also want to do an omake of Hideki teaching Akaya the wonders of theatricals soon._

_Loves and Apologies,_

_~FO_


End file.
